Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Eventually I will "get over" the fact that I can't take my students on a field trip to Outer Space - not exactly in the budget this year. Until then, I will continue hunting for ways to share the excitement of space with them. I am ashamed to say that, until this year, I wasn't up to date on the missions and expeditions of the International Space Station. This year, our school has been tracking and following NASA Astronaut Mike Hopkins and his crew members of Expedition 37/38 as he lives in space until February. Mike Hopkins is an alumni of our high school and we've all been cheering for him since he departed earlier this Fall.

This got me thinking, if we can follow Mike on Twitter - who else can we find that's in space? A few clicks later, I was uncovering several Twitter accounts of astronauts who were preparing for space travel, had been to space, or currently residing on the I.S.S.

Earlier this week, I posed the question, "what's life like in space? What would it be like to live on the International Space Station?" We brainstormed how life would be different and started asking questions about daily routines that would change because of zero gravity.

The goal of the day was simple: find out what life is like in space! I let my students explore Twitter accounts and reminded them to take notes so we could share at the end of class.

Screenshot of Mac: Mike Hopkins' Twitter Page

Screenshot of Mac: @NASA_Astronauts Twitter Page

Oh, but wait.... there are VIDEOS, too. TONS of videos! Ever wonder what it is like to brush your teeth in space?

What about washing your hair in space?

What's it like to sleep in space? Do you float?

Okay, okay... I know you're wondering, what happens if you get sick?

That's only the beginning. Once I started searching for videos, I found TONS from several Expeditions on the I.S.S. Who better to teach my students about life on the I.S.S. than residents of the I.S.S.?

We're constantly checking in our favorite astronauts through Twitter and reading their updates in our classroom. It's truly remarkable to be able to share with my students what is happening on the I.S.S. through Twitter and live feeds. AMAZING!

Just last week, we started our Outer Space unit. We will be reaching for the stars and floating along the Milky Way until Christmas and I couldn't be happier! A friend of mine introduced me to the app "SkyView Free" for iPhone and I introduced it to my students on day during science while we were chatting about galaxies and constellations. My kids were passing around my phone spotting different constellations, satellites, International Space Station, and the Moon!

Monday, November 4, 2013

There is one drink that is sure to remind me of family and the holidays: wassail! Last night, I jumped the gun a bit and made a batch for my bf and I. It was the perfect treat on a Sunday evening. Here is the recipe my family has grown to love!

You'll Need:

4 C Apple Cider

1 C Orange Juice

1 C Cranberry Juice

1 C sugar

1/2 t whole cloves

1/2 t all spice

4 cinnamon sticks

Make it!

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot or kettle of your choice. Let sugar and spices dissolve.

Grab your favorite mug of the shelf and enjoy curled up under a blanket!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

For our Tennessee tailgate this weekend, I decided to put one of my long-lost pins to good use. On Saturday, we tested out and enjoyed Jalapeno Popper Dip. I orignally pinned this recipe from Raining Hot Coupons, you can find the original recipe here. We made a few slight modifications which you can see below:

1 small jar/can of jalapenos (we used some of the juice in the mixture as well)

1 small can of green chiles

3/4 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Planko breadcrumbs (for topping)

Make it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine and mix all ingredients except the breadcrumbs. Reserve those for the top of your dip.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Broil the top for 2-3 minutes until you have a nice golden brown cover on your dip.

Serve with crackers, tortillas, or pita chips!

It was definitely a hit - especially when it was heated up next to a giant bowl of homemade chili. The perfect combo before a big win over the Tennessee Volunteers! Did I mention Mizzou is 7-1? Oh, and the Chiefs are 8-0? FANTASTIC!